“Just so, I tell you,
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
– Jesus to the Pharisees “The Lost Sheep” (Luke 15:7)
Let’s face it. People are self-centered. You, me, everyone. People tend to think of themselves and their own needs before those of others. Even after we become Christians, we can invert even the good gifts of God manifested in our lives, turning blessings into evidence that the world really does revolve around us. This kind of attitude then leads us to neglect the work of God in the lives of others because we are foolishly concentrating only on what God does for us
Jesus concluded His parable of the lost sheep by emphasizing heaven’s joy over the repentance of one while downplaying the significance of the already-saved. Unquestionably, God is pleased when we live for Him and bring others to Himself. Scripture reveals God as One who rejoices over His children who walk in His truth.
Yet in His discourse to the Pharisees, Jesus was combating a dangerous mentality, prevalent among the religious people of His day. Self-centeredness. Exclusivism. Legalism. Even today, it is easy to think you have the corner on God. Easier still is to stand back and take stock of your apparent “good” deeds and believe that God’s delight must be directed only to you.
Jesus’ startling conclusion of the parable dashes that theory to pieces. Battling the prideful and pompous ideology of the religious leaders, Jesus turned the tables by proclaiming God’s interest in the single sinner, lost and forgotten by the self-indulgent Pharisees. Puffed up because of what they believed God must think of them, the Pharisees heard Jesus reveal God to be like the shepherd who is rejoicing over the one who has turned to Him.
In our lives today, we must beware of thinking that God revolves around us and what we do for Him, and instead remember that He is also involved in the lives of those around us, seeking to save that which is lost.
